Beautiful Band-E Amir - The Ultimate Travel Destination

Choosing a place to go on your vacation can be particularly
difficult for many people. Sure you can go to the same old boring
places that everybody goes to; theme parks, national parks, sunny
islands with beaches, or Europe... but why not consider someplace
extraordinary, someplace so out of the ordinary that you'll remember
it for as long as you live?Take a look at Band-e Amir.You may never
have heard of it because it lies in Afghanistan and most people don't
really think of Afghanistan as the ultimate tourist destination, but
Band-e Amir is definitely worth your consideration.So what exactly is
it?Basically it's six amazingly blue lakes that are located high up in
the Hindu Kush mountains. It's about 45 miles from Bamiyan if that
helps narrow it down in your mind at all. The best time of year to go
is between the spring and autumn.Unfortunately you can't just step
onto an airplane and then take a cab. No, to get there you need to
take a 4x4 truck from Bamiyan. Like I said, this isn't your ordinary
vacation!The lakes are created by water that flows down a number of
natural terraces. It's hard to imagine how beautiful these cobalt blue
lakes look surrounded by red sandy rocky mountains and hillscapes. The
colors are an amazing contrast.You can expect to find all kinds of
animals in the area including wolves and foxes and even rabbits and
some wild sheep and goats. In the water you can find large yellow fish
that the local people calls Chush.Band-e Amir is a national park, in
fact the very first national park that Afghanistan has ever had and it
was created in 1973. Though a national park in Afghanistan doesn't
really mean the same thing as it does in America, you won't find park
rangers and camping grounds for instance.Unfortunately right now
America is involved in a war in Afghanistan so it may not be the best
time to visit, in fact I suggest putting off a trip there until things
settle down. Contact the foreign office or your local embassy before
making any sort of plans to travel there.While you won't find any
tourist shops or really much of anything at all... if you're looking
for a vacation that's off the beaten path and puts you smack dab in
the middle of some of the most beautiful natural landscapes that
you'll ever see in your entire life, and you don't mind roughing it
and are up for little or venture, then Band-e Amir may be just right
for you.